The Super Bowl is the biggest advertising venue of the year, reaching up to 60 percent of the United States” population. However, it is not just the big game that draws spectators. According to a Retail Advertising and Marketing Association survey, 36.3 percent of consumers will tune in primarily to watch the commercials. With so many eyeballs on the screen, Fox had advertisers paying $2.7 million for a 30-second commercial.

The top-dollar ad spending was not the only impressive number for the big weekend:

Viewing Statistics
– 141.4 million viewers
– More people watched the Super Bowl than voted in the 2004 Presidential Election

Party Time
– 7.5 million parties on Super Bowl Sunday
– 1.5 million televisions are sold the week prior to the game
– Big screen television online casino sales increased five-fold

Food Consumption
– Food consumption during this weekend is second to Thanksgiving
– 13.2 million avocados are sold in preparation for guacamole
– According to the Snack Food Association, 30.4 million pounds of snack foods are consumed by Americans
– 1 in 7 people order take-out or delivery from a restaurant
– The largest number of pizza deliveries are made during Super Bowl Sunday, most of them during half-time

Beer Consumption
– According to the Beer Institute, 3.5 percent annual beer sales come from Super Bowl weekend
– The big game makes January one of the top months for beer consumption

Sources: Associated Content and About.com